Web 2.0 continued...

So I am continuing my thoughts on some of the tools of the new social Internet...

At the risk of being considered a disgusting old guy, I joined My Space. Here is my personal My Space page. I was really just interested in seeing what all the fuss was about with this social networking website, but in order to find out you have to join. How can I warn my students of the My Space dangers (MSNBC, CBS, About.com) if I have never experienced them myself? I still can't figure out how to modify my page so that you don't see all of the garbage that they put on your page. Ads and more Ads- hate 'em! I guess that is something that I only see, the page I share is different looking, but I still don't know how to change it. I was excited to see that I could put a Twitter widget on my profile page (I really like Twitter alot), but so far that one small thing has been the highlight of the My Space experience. I have tried to search for my cousin (she is of acceptable age to have a My Space page), who I know has a page, but I can't find her (using first name, last name, city, state and all the combinations of these search terms). I refuse to just call her and ask her what her page is named, it seems to be such an anti-My Space thing to do.

Tom, one of the My Space founders, is my only friend. How depressing, but I am keeping him. If he is my only friend and I delete him, then I will have no friends. I simply can't be friendless. Someone should like me.

I was very excited to get friend requests, figuring that the innocent young ladies who wanted to be my friend admired my cool M&M picture or something (made it at with the M&M character creator). I was wrong. All they cared about was getting me to look at their nude pictures that were housed on some pervnet page or something (because, thank goodness you can't do that on My Space, but with hyperlinking what is the difference). For the record, I did not go and look at any pictures because I was insulted by the complete disregard for my need for friends. They just want my money. I don't know that for sure, but why else would a young girl want to be friends with a disgusting old guy? I am still trying to give My Space the benefit of the doubt, but it is getting more difficult by the day.

The only other person who wanted to be "my friend" was Patrick Rockey a weather guy or something from a local TV channel, WTKR. He has some sort of a Pet Pics thing, I don't know anything about it but you can look at his My Space page if you are interested. Warning- if you become his friend you will be bombarded by Pet Spam. I think I have decided that Pet spam is worse than an invitation to see nude pictures. I could just delete the young ladies with questionable morals, but once Patrick was my friend I had a long list of Pet Spam in my In Box right away. At least he should have started me slowly with the spam. It makes me angry when people drop the Spam bomb, so I deleted him. I love pets, I have a dog and a cat, but I don't need to see any more animal pictures- cute, ugly, homeless- I don't want any of that. Patrick got deleted.

At least Tom still likes me, right?

So far, I am not impressed with My Space. I know I could try Facebook, but I really don't like being thought of as a disgusting old guy. I don't think it is a fair label for me. I am happily married with no need to scope out anyone. I am not trying to give anyone the creeps, I just want to be a social person in the new world order. At least I have my blog. :-)